Enrollment
68
Florida · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Melbourne, FL
South Area Alternative Learning Center
Federal NCES profile for South Area Alternative Learning Center, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 66/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 120015002055
👥 S:T ratio 61
🌟 Gifted program 70
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
South Area Alternative Learning Center earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Florida schools.
- #1 of 15
- schools in Melbourne · Resource Index
- 66
- Resource Index · Higher
- 9.7:1
- small classes for Florida
- 64.2%
- free-lunch eligible
South Area Alternative Learning Center has class sizes smaller than 94% of Florida schools. Computed live against every Florida school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, South Area Alternative Learning Center ranks #1 of 15 schools in Melbourne, FL.
School address
Teachers (FTE)
7.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
9.7:1
vs 17.8:1 Florida avg
-46% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
64.2%
vs 52.0% Florida avg
+23% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How South Area Alternative Learning Center compares with Florida and U.S. medians
What stands out at South Area Alternative Learning Center
South Area Alternative Learning Center is a higher-need, small combined-grade school in Melbourne, Florida, enrolling 68 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 9.7:1, South Area Alternative Learning Center is leaner than roughly 94% of Florida schools and 46% under the state's 17.8:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Economic need runs somewhat above the state's typical profile, with 64.2% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 91% of Florida schools, with 68 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index outscores 96% of the 3,996 Florida schools with a score on record, a top-tier result on this measure.
Against 58 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #15.
Its student body is led by African American (35%) and White (34%) (diversity index 71/100).
Its district draws 17.8% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 125 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 68 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 4 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Brevard also operates Viera High School (2,334 students) and Melbourne Senior High School (2,210 students) alongside South Area Alternative Learning Center.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How South Area Alternative Learning Center compares
South Area Alternative Learning Center on the metrics families compare, against Florida and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs Florida | Florida avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 9.7:1 | ▼ 46% | 17.8:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 64.2% | ▲ 23% | 52.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 68 | top 91% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
9.7:1
Leaner classes than 90% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
68
Bigger than 7% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
64.2%
free-lunch eligible
- 23% above the Florida average of 52.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
9.7:1
students per teacher
- 46% below state mean
Top 6% in Florida - lower ratio than 94% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Funding equity
$10,368
per pupil, district-wide
- below Florida avg of $11,167
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 125 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 183.8 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 4 expulsions.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 35.3%
White 33.8%
Two or More 19.1%
Hispanic or Latino 11.8%
Largest group: African American at 35.3% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 71.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 71.1, South Area Alternative Learning Center is more mixed than the Florida school average of 52.3.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Brevard, which includes South Area Alternative Learning Center.
$10,368
Per student
-7%
vs Florida
Avg $11,167
-38%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 45.1%
State 37.1%
Federal 17.8%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How South Area Alternative Learning Center Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viera High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Melbourne Senior High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Bayside High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Heritage High School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Odyssey Charter School | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to South Area Alternative Learning Center's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,334
- Students per teacher
- 22.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 2,210
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,122
- Students per teacher
- 26.2:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,960
- Students per teacher
- 21.8:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 1,917
- Students per teacher
- 22.8:1
- Resource Index
- 30/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of Florida, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~68 students)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on South Area Alternative Learning Center's federal record.
- Compare South Area Alternative Learning Center against another school. Compare schools
- Brevard's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about South Area Alternative Learning Center
How many students attend South Area Alternative Learning Center?
South Area Alternative Learning Center has 68 students enrolled. It is an alternative school in Melbourne, FL.
What is the student-teacher ratio at South Area Alternative Learning Center?
The student-teacher ratio at South Area Alternative Learning Center is 9.7:1, which is 46% lower than the Florida average of 17.8:1 and 38% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at South Area Alternative Learning Center?
64.2% of students at South Area Alternative Learning Center are eligible for free lunch, compared to the Florida average of 52.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of South Area Alternative Learning Center?
The largest demographic group at South Area Alternative Learning Center is African American at 35.3% of enrollment, in Melbourne, FL. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 71.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for South Area Alternative Learning Center?
South Area Alternative Learning Center has a Resource Investment Index of 66/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 2 factors: student-teacher ratio. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology). Limited indicators were available, so the index reflects partial data.
How does South Area Alternative Learning Center rank among schools in Melbourne?
By Resource Investment Index, South Area Alternative Learning Center ranks #1 of 15 schools in Melbourne, FL. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all schools in Melbourne on the city page.
Is South Area Alternative Learning Center a good school?
South Area Alternative Learning Center earns 66/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 94% of Florida schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Brevard?
Besides South Area Alternative Learning Center, Brevard also operates Viera High School (2,334 students), Melbourne Senior High School (2,210 students), and Bayside High School (2,122 students). See the Brevard district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.